Combination container and spin top



1963 F. v. CUNNINGHAM ETAL 3,

COMBINATION CONTAINER AND- SPIN TOP 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 24, 1965 FIG.3

M %A 0H o mm VN NN U c v 5 C N A Dn F BY GERALD C. PROCTOR ATTORNEY 1966 F. v. CUNNINGHAM ETAL 3,236,902

COMBINATION CONTAINER AND SPIN TOP Filed April 24, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FRANCIS V. CUNNINGHAM GERALD C. PROCTOR gyyww/dw ATTO RNEY 3,236,002 Patented Feb. 22, 1966 3,236,002 COMBINATION CONTAINER AND SPIN TOP Francis V. Cunningham, 5316 Central, Western Springs,

111., and Gerald C. Proctor, 7076 /2 N. Paulina, Chrcago, Ill.

Filed Apr. 24, 1963, Ser. No. 275,372 2 Claims. (Cl. 46-11) The present invention is directed to certain new and useful improvements in spinning tops.

The major purposes of the present invention are to fabricate spinning tops in suchwise that the tops may be manufactured from completely molded sections without need for machine work or the like, to so form sections of a spinning top that they are easily brought together in a fastened, snap fitting, assembled relation, to so form the sections of the tops that they provide a hollow interior for the packaging or the storage of a premium or the like, and to so form the sections of the tops that a child may easily assemble and disassemble the sections of the top, all while forming the top in suchwise that the top or tops may be economically manufactured, these and other purposes of the invention being more apparent in the course of the ensuing specification and claims, when taken with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a spinning top embodying the principles of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is an exploded view of the top illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom view of the top illustrated in FIGURE 1 taken on the plane 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view of the top illustrated in FIGURE 1 and taken on the section lines 44 of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view of the cap section for the top illustrated in FIGURE 4 but illustrating the unassembled condition of the top section of FIGURE 4 and taken on a section line as at 5-5 in FIGURE 6;

FIGURE 6 is a plan view of the top or cap section illustrated in FIGURE 5;

FIGURE 7 is a side elevation of the cap section illustratd in FIGURES 5 and 6;

FIGURE 8 is a plan view of the lower body section of the top illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4, inclusive;

FIGURE 9 is a side elevation of the lower or body section of the top illustrated in FIGURES 1 through 4, inclusive; and

FIGURE 10 is a sectional view of the lower body section of the top illustrated in FIGURES 8 and 9 and taken on section lines 10-10 of FIGURE 8.

Like elements are designated by like characters throughout the specification and drawings.

With particular reference now to the drawings and in the first instance to FIGURE 1, the numeral 20 generally designates a spinning top which, as is generally customary in such spinning tops, has a generally inverted conic form, which terminates at a bottom apex 21 on which a point is formed. The upper portion of the top may be rounded to provide a reduced diameter seen generally at 22, all as is customary in spinning tops. The general outline and configuration of the top illustrated in FIGURE 1 may be taken as generally representative of the outline and configuration of spinning tops as they have been known for many years. The lower portions of the conical body may be provided with a plurality of vertically spaced, circumferentially extending recesses 23 of relatively narrow depth, so as to facilitate the winding of a string around the lower portion of the top body.

In accordance with the present invention, the spinning top is comprised of a lower body section 24, a cap section generally designated at 25, each of which have shelllike walls which are formed of a molded material such as a plastic material. The lower body portion 24 is formed to define a hollow interior which is closed by the cap section or portion 25. A point 26 may be fixed to the lowermost tip of the body section 24 as by a screwthreading relation, a press fitting relation, or by some method known to the art. In some cases, it may be desired to mold a point on the lower body section 24 instead of the separately molded point illustrated in FIGURE 2. The details of forming the point for the body section form no part of the present invention.

As is seen in the drawings, the cap section 25 may be formed as a minor portion of the overall height or length of the top body while the lower section 24 takes up the majority of the length of the overall body. Cap section 25 is formed with a circumferentially extending rim 27 which is adapted to fit within the rim of the body section adjacent a ledge 28. This ledge 28 is spaced downwardly a slight distance from the extreme upper edge 29 of the lower section. The cap section 25 may, of course, comprise a larger portion of the overall body than is illustrated in the drawings, although it is advantageous to use the general proportions illustrated, so as to provide a relatively large hollow interior in the lower section 24, all for the purpose of enabling storage of some article within the lower section.

Ledge 28 is provided with small projections 30 which are spaced generally diametrically from one another and which create surfaces which are spaced above the remainder of the ledge 28. The interior of the lower section 24 may have small ribs 31 spaced therearound for strengthening purposes, if desired.

The lower section of the body 24 has a pair of spaced openings 32 and 33 formed in the wall thereof. These openings are located below the ledge 28 and are spaced degrees from the surfaces 30. The ledge 28 is cut away at diametrically spaced points as is seen in FIG- URE 8, and the inner wall of the lower section 24 is also cut away so as to provide essentially slotlike surfaces 35 and 36 extending generally parallel to the axis of the section and from the upper edge to the openings 32 and 33. The surfaces 35 and 36 preferably have a slight inclination with respect to the axis of the top so as to permit proper draft during the molding process.

Cap section 25 is also formed as a more or less shelllike section and includes a pair of diametrically spaced depending arms 37 and 38. Arms 37 and 38 terminate at the lower ends in relatively narrow edges with outwardly facing inclined surfaces 39 and 40 extending upwardly from these edges to shoulders 41 and 42 which extend generally transversely to the axis. The inclined surfaces 39 and 40 are upwardly divergent as is seen in FIGURE 7 for a purpose which will appear hereinafter. Arms 37 and 38 are formed at a slight angle to the axis of the cap section. This inclination may be on the order of 1 or 2 degrees in suchwise that the lowermost ends of the arms 37 and 38 are spread further from one another than the upper portions of the arms. Upper section 25 and the arms 37 and 38 may be formed from a molded plastic material with a wall thickness such that the section as a whole has a slight resiliency, while the arms 37 and 38 also have a resiliency enabling yieldability of the lowermost end portions inwardly toward the axis of the cap section. The inclination of the arms is seen most clearly in FIGURE 5, wherein the line 43 extends parallel to the axis of the top.

The projecting shoulders 41 and 42 are spaced from rim 27 by a distance generally equal to the spacing of the ledge 28 from the uppermost edges 44 and 45 of the recesses in the inner wall of the lower section. Thus, when the cap section is fitted over the lower section, the

arms 37 and 38 may ride down the recessed portions 34 and 35 until the projections 41 and 42 may snap into the recesses 32 and 33 with the projections 41 and 42 hearing against the upper walls 44 and 45 of the recesses.

Tops as illustrated herein and described may be easily molded. The division of the top body into the sections, as described, enables facile molding of the two sections, all without need for machining operations.

The top is easily assembled simply by aligning the arms 37 and 38 with the recesses 35 and 36 and then forcing the two sections together. When in place, the inclined surfaces 39 and 40 constitute in effect a continuation of the conical formation of the lower section of the top body.

As the sections are forced together, the projections 41 and 42 ride down the surfaces of the recesses 35 and 36 until the projections 41 and 42 snap into place. In the course of the movement of the two sections together, the rim 27 of the cap section will move against the projections 30 on the ledge 28, just prior to the time that the projections 41 and 42 enter into the recesses 32 and 33. The top section or cap section 27 is, however, suificiently yieldable that continued finger pressure applied above the arms 37 and 38 will cause the cap section to yield about points positioned over the projections 30 so that the arms may move further downwardly in a slight distance sufficient to enable entry of the projections 41 and 42 into the recesses 32 and 33. This slight yieldability of the cap section together with the use of the surfaces which are spaced slightly above the remainder of the ledge 28 enables a tight fit of the cap section with the lower section. In effect, the cap section and lower section are engaged at the points 30 and the ledges 44 and 45.

The two sections may be easily disassembled simply by finger pressure exerted inwardly on the inclined surfaces 39 and 40 until the projections 41 and 42 clear the walls 44 and 45. At this point the cap section 25 will spring upwardly slightly due to the action of the inclined surfaces 39 and 40 which resiliently bear against the corners of the walls 44 and 45 and tend to produce a camming movement of the cap section upwardly. The sections are then easily separated.

Through use of the hollow interior and the simple snap fitting removable engagement of the two sections of the top, the interior of the top may be used conveniently as a storage area for a package of string which is used in spinning of the top. Similarly, it may be used as storage area for some gift item, or premium item, or the like.

Whereas we have shown and described a certain operative form of the invention, it should be understood that this showing and description thereof should be taken in an illustrative or diagrammatic sense only. There are many modifications in and to the invention which will be apparent to those skilled in the art and which will fall within the scope and spirit thereof. The scope of the invention, therefore, should be limited only by the scope of the hereinafter appended claims.

We claim:

1. A molded, hollow spinning top 'body of separable sections removably fastened together including a plurality of body sections adapted to define a closed hollow spinning top body, one of said sections being a cover section with a rim fitting with the rim of a lower generally inverted conic section to thereby define the overall configuration and shape of said body, said one section having spaced arm means with outwardly extending projections, said arm means extending beyond said rim of said one section and received within said lower section, said projections being removably received in spaced recesses in said lower section ina removable, snap fitting relation, said recesses being defined by openings extended through the wall of said other section, said projections having shoulders engaging with wall surfaces of said openings, said arm means having outer surfaces shaped to define a continuation of the exterior generally inverted conic wall surface of said other section, said arm means being resilient to allow release from said wall surfaces and upward movement of said cover section upon exertion of inward pressure on said outer surfaces.

2. A molded, hollow spinning top body of separable sections removably fastened together including a plurality of body sections adapted to define a closed hollow spinning top body, one of said sections being a cover section with a rim fitting with the rim of a lower generally inverted conic section to thereby define the overall configuration and shape of said body, said one section having spaced arm means with outwardly extending projections, said arm means extending beyond said rim of said one section and received within said lower section, said projections being removably received in spaced recesses in said lower section in a removable, snap fitting relation, said recesses being defined by openings extended through the wall of said other section, said projections having shoulders engaging with wall surfaces of said openings, said arm means having outer surfaces shaped to define a continuation of the exterior generally inverted conic wall surface of said other section, said arm means being resilient to allow release from said wall surfaces and upward movement of said cover section upon exertion of inward pressureon said outer surfaces, abutment surfaces carried by one of said rims and positioned between said arm means while being in engagement with said other rim, said arm means having lengths such as to requireslight yielding of said cover section about the engagement of said abutment surfaces with said other rim before said shoulders engage said wall surfaces.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 226,958 4/1880 Barry 4664 2,065,208 12/1936 Bischof 46-223 2,605,584 8/1952 Perker et al 46-6l 2,665,353 1/1953 Popp 22060 FOREIGN PATENTS 12,695 1886 Great Britain. 486,367 6/1938 Great Britain.

RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner. 

1. A MOLDED, HOLLOW SPINNING TOP BODY OF SEPARABLE SECTIONS REMOVABLY FASTENED TOGETHER INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF BODY SECTIONS ADAPTED TO DEFINE A CLOSED HOLLOW SPINNING TOP BODY, ONE OF SAID SECTIONS BEING A COVER SECTION WITH A RIM FITTING WITH THE RIM OF A LOWER GENERALLY INVERTED CONIC SECTION TO THEREBY DEFINE THE OVERALL CONFIGURATION AND SHAPE OF SAID BODY, SAID ONE SECTION HAVING SPACED ARM MEANS WITH OUTWARDLY EXTENDING PROJECTIONS, SAID ARM MEANS EXTENDING BEYOND SAID RIM OF SAID ONE SECTION AND RECEIVED WITHIN SAID LOWER SECTION, SAID PROJECTIONS BEING REMOVABLY RECEIVED IN SPACED RECESSES IN SAID LOWER SECTION IN A REMOVABLE, SNAP FITTING RELATION, SAID RECESSES BEING DEFINED BY OPENINGS EXTENDED THROUGH THE WALL OF SAID OTHER SECTION, SAID PROJECTIONS HAVING SHOULDERS ENGAGING WITH WALL SURFACES OF SAID OPENINGS, SAID ARM MEANS HAVING OUTER SURFACES SHAPED TO DEFINE A CONTINUATION OF THE EXTERIOR GENERALLY INVERTED CONIC WALL SURFACE OF SAID OTHER SECTION, SAID ARM MEANS BEING RESILIENT TO ALLOW RELEASE FROM SAID WALL SURFACES AND UPWARD MOVEMENT OF SAID COVER SECTION UPON EXERTION OF INWARD PRESSURE ON SAID OUTER SURFACES. 